Making A Difference
Articles and information on Making A Difference
'Cool' Ideas for Reducing Energy Bills
Along with this season's extra hours of sunshine, blooming flowers and green lawns, comes the heat. Whether bright and blazing or hot and humid, escaping the heat means turning on the air conditioner.
A New Book of Asian-Inspired Cooking
Americans are flocking to Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Thai restaurants in record numbers, and more of them are preparing Asian dishes at home. With the right cookbook, even the novice chef can prepare great-tasting Asian meals.
Add a Touch of Global Glamour to Your Home
Are certain rooms in your house feeling a bit dated, or perhaps just a little dull? Sometimes all it takes is one new piece of furniture with a lot of personality, or a few well-chosen accessories to bring a room back to life.
Ancient Plants are Newest Textile Sensation
Clothing has added soy to come up with an even more deliciously soft fluffy robe than their current micro chenille version that has seduced the likes of George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez and Leonardo DiCaprio among others.
Backyard Play Equipment Harbors Harmful Dirt and Grime
One of the most overlooked, yet most needed, cleaning chores in your home is probably right in your own back yard -- outdoor play equipment. When outdoor play equipment -- activity gyms, swing sets, sandboxes, playhouses, little red wagons, even doghouses -- come out for the summer, it can be a staging area for bacteria-laden dirt and grime.
Black, White and Beautiful All Over
Remember the old joke: What's black and white and read all over? Although that joke, along with its punch line, the newspaper, as well as black and white television, may all be obsolete, the fashion caché of black on white and vice versa is never out of style.
Choosing and Using Electronic Hand Tools
Have you ever drilled multiple holes in a wall trying to locate a stud? Have you ever hung up several pictures, taken a step back and realized that none of them lined up and were straight? If so, you might want to invest in some electronic hand tools.
Decorating Your Walls: A 'Primer' on Paint Types
You've picked out a color, purchased brushes and rollers and are ready to decorate several rooms in the house with a fresh coat of paint.
DIY Fireplace Mantels
As the centerpiece of a room, the fireplace is both functional and attractive. It draws your attention with its warmth, and, with the style of mantel you choose, lets you express your interior design tastes and set the tone for the room.
Embrace Your Inner Color: Hints for Choosing the Perfect Paint Palette for Your Home
Using wall color is one of the most exciting and impactful aspects of home decorating. With paint, you can create a mood and atmosphere that expresses your personality and makes your home uniquely yours.
Entryways Provide Invitation to Home
Does your home's front entrance provide an invitation or just an entrance? Does it cause people to take notice or drive on by? Just like a finely manicured lawn and a well-maintained exterior add curb appeal to a home, so too, does the front entrance. A home's front entry is one of the first elements visitors see of your home.
Everything Old World is New Again
We may live in a new age, but we still clamor for old world styling in our homes. Today's interior design trends reflect our desire for looks that say "handcrafted" yet perform "high tech."
Faux Finishes Add Character to Your Home
Each room of your house evokes different emotions and the way you design them sets the stage for some of the most important moments in life. Creating the perfect setting is a balancing act of putting the right things together.
Get Closet Savvy
If you're a home "decorista" in search of some fabulous new feathers to dress your nest with, consider wallcoverings. Today's options can add color and visual interest, as well as wonderful texture.
Home Décor is Looking Up
You've hung pictures on the wall, painted and faux-finished, and added all those special touches to make your room unique. But have you forgotten something? One of the easiest ways to add a touch of elegance, whimsy or style to a room is just above you: the ceiling.
How to Hire a Plumber
Think about the last time you purchased a car. Chances are you didn't go to the yellow pages, choose a dealership at random, and buy your car from the first lot you visited. Many times, though, this scenario describes the way homeowners find a plumber -- they look in the phone book and call the plumber with the largest ad or the first one listed.
Invest in Daffodils -- Delightful, Durable and Deer-Resistant
Fall planting time is upon us. If you are planning ahead for early spring color in your garden, -- now's the time to think daffodils.
Keep That Showroom Shine
While most of us are far from experts on our car's inner workings, we do appreciate the technology behind it. From fuel injection to anti-lock brakes, innovations have come quite a way since the days of the Model T.
Make One Corner Beautiful at a Time
If you have the discipline to stick to it, this simple adage -- make one corner beautiful at a time -- can transform your decorating dreams from overwhelming to manageable and rewarding.
Mom's Number One School Tool
It's school time and this year you promise yourself you're going to do everything right. You're going to shop smart -- watch for back-to-school sales and shop early. You'll steer your child right past the aisle of candy-colored calculators.
Paint Like the Pros
Mild days of 50 to 80 degrees with little or no wind and low humidity are more likely to bring thoughts of golfing than household chores. However, these are the perfect conditions for outdoor painting jobs. So grab your old clothes -- it's time to paint.
Program Your Home for Energy Savings This Winter
During the frigid winter months, heating bills in many homes go through the roof. This winter will be no exception as the U.S. Department of Energy predicts increases in energy prices. Luckily, there are ways homeowners can rein in heating costs.
Protect Your Home from the Elements
The days are getting shorter, temperatures are beginning to drop, and leaves that have turned brilliant colors are starting to fall from the trees. The change of season will be complete before you know it, but is your home ready to do battle with old man winter?
Put the Freeze on Cold Air Drafts this Winter
Before the winter winds put a chill in your air, pull out your gun (your caulk gun that is) and stop air leaks dead in their tracks. Air drafts around the home are more than just a comfort issue; they can contribute to many unnecessary dollars added to your heating bill.
Ready Your Closet for Fall Clothes
Decorating trends, like fashion styles, change from season to season and year to year. While you want your home to look fresh and current, following every trend that comes along can turn into a trap, too -- your house can end up looking like a caricature of home décor magazines and catalogs.
Remodeling and Home Improvement Ideas -- Make Your New House Your Dream Home
You found the perfect house, the home of your dreams… almost! The excitement that comes with finding your dream home naturally incites expansive thinking as you consider ways to improve the house and update the décor to reflect your personal style and taste.
Residential Fire Sprinklers: The Logical Choice for Saving Lives and Property
Every 90 seconds a home fire is reported in the United States. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), eight out of 10 fire fatalities occur where Americans feel safest -- in their own homes.
Restore Your Vinyl Siding to Its Original Beauty
Getting tired of that faded vinyl siding on your home? Many homeowners believe their only alternative is to replace siding that has lost its luster as a result of UV radiation and acid rain; but there is a less expensive solution.
Securing Your Home with Style
Those concerned with home security will be intrigued by new door and glass technology that can help make homes safer without the "iron bar" look. Combining several design innovations and a remarkable new glass similar to the security glass being used in U.S. government buildings...
Technology Creates Safer Home Heating Traditions
The chandelier used to mark your arrival. Clad in crystal, it met you in the foyer of a well-appointed home, and then dazzled you from a power position over the diningroom table.
The 97-Percent Solution for America's Kitchens
Think it's time for a new kitchen? You're not alone. An astonishing 97 percent of American homeowners would like to alter their kitchens, according to a recent survey of consumers conducted by Wilsonart International.
The New American Garden -- Innovations for Small Spaces Produce More Vegetables, Flowers and Herbs in Containers
The size of the average American yard continues to shrink -- it now stands at only 9,100 square feet -- including the house. At the same time, more and more people are valuing fresh, organically grown produce and wanting to grow their own.
The Right Custom Frame Lets You Display Your Art Beautifully and Safely
Do you have a favorite photo that you've been meaning to have framed for a long time? Or perhaps you have some treasured mementos such as a collection of your father's pipes that you'd like to display.
The Three "C's" Of Today's Upscale Home Decorating
Ask interior designers and industry experts across the country what the "hot" trends are in upscale home decorating, and you'd assume their responses would be as varied as the specialties they represent.
Time to Open Your Spa
Cooler temperatures make fall the perfect time to open your spa.
Tips for Cutting Energy Costs This Winter
Household energy efficiency is an important topic when you take into consideration that 44 percent of your typical home energy bill goes toward heating and cooling. Air leaks are a constant drain of energy that can be equivalent to leaving a window wide open.
Using Water to Create a Backyard Oasis
It has become increasingly important to create a tranquil environment within the home, or in your backyard, to combat the effects of everyday tension on your mind, body and soul. Here's how to do it.
Warm Up to Fall
Cooler days. Longer shadows. Leaves changing colors. All signs that summer is ending and fall is beginning. As your wardrobe changes from short-sleeved pastels to corduroys and sweaters, your home should reflect the change in seasons as well.
What You Need to Know Before You Purchase Your Next Garden Hose
Regardless of the outside temperature, living things require water in order to survive. Dry lawns and flower beds and especially thirsty vegetables need attention much of the year, not just during the warmer months, as many people believe.
Winter is the Perfect Time to Start Planning Your Home Remodeling Project
The long, hot summer has come to an end. The kids are back in school, your garden has been tilled over, and that vacation you enjoyed so much back in June is fading into your distant memory. Before you know it, the flakes will be flying and temperatures will plummet.
Woodworking is Newest Home Improvement Trend among Women
How many times have you cleaned up after people coming into your house, tracking in mud, dirt and snow, and thought "there has to be a better way." Doormats help, but they don't stop the majority of the dirt, and they have to be cleaned frequently during messy fall and winter months.
